Skoda Vision 7S: We got into the 7-seater electric SUV

As part of its range development strategy, Skoda will launch a seven-seat electric SUV, which will be launched today with the Vision 7S. We were able to meet him in the preview.

Since SUVs have replaced single seaters and other family cars (in fact, they have replaced everything), 7 seater models have quickly caught the attention of large families. The offer is plentiful (everything is relative), but essentially consists of heat engines, especially diesel. And because of their configuration, the penalties become prohibitive. The only solutions are to move towards a hybrid or a rechargeable hybrid or even an electric solution. But the yard is empty: The Mercedes EQB is the only available representative of this segment.

Otherwise you have to be patient. The Tesla Model X, an already well-known alternative, is said to return to Europe one day. Nothing more is heard of the Model Y’s 7-seater option. The Mercedes EQS SUV can accommodate seven people from a wealthy family. Hyundai and Kia have already expressed their ambitions with the Ioniq 7 and EV9, which would arrive in 2024 and 2023 respectively. After all, it is Skoda that will occupy the market a little later with a large SUV announced for 2026. A descendant of the Kodiaq currently called the Vision 7S. To meet !

A new Modern Solid identity

Protected from prying eyes in the Czech countryside, the Skoda Vision 7S opens its doors to us in the preview without a center column. A first approach that allows you to measure the original 7-seater SUV to the fullest. As usual, Skoda doesn’t show off with size scales, and the SUV is big. Very large, as in its concept form it is 5.16m long with a wheelbase of 3.05m. That puts it between a BMW X7 and a Mercedes GLS, the most opulent vehicles on the market!

It is even ahead of the Range Rover, whose inspiration can hardly be hidden in its lines, which implicitly announce those of the production model. A signature that will then be that of the Mlada Boleslav brand. Less tormented, less energetic, but no more boring, it bears the name Modern solid. It favors a smooth surface treatment that ties it to the brand’s new identity, as evidenced by the unique logo fully centered on the bonnet. Bonnet also reminiscent of a Range Rover with its shoulders, while the rear T-shaped optics are disturbingly similar. The view apart with the two projectors, supposedly Kia Telluride-style, is framed by a wide but fine teak deck grille, which cannot briefly hide a fine signature from Byton M-Byte. The style settles down and now blends into the crowd. Anyhow, the Vision 7S, in its own way, picks up on the cosmetic codes in this segment, which might lead it to believe that it’s on its way to conquer America.

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The style is at the service of aerodynamics, with flat surfaces, flush elements (nothing protrudes except for the profiled camera mirrors), and aerodynamic appendages that are subtly hidden as if out of modesty. The slots are the entrances to the ventilation circuits, with some lines going to the brakes and others to the battery. The latter’s calories can be evacuated to the doors that hide running boards that allow the roof to be reached more easily. In this smooth universe, however, the SUV affords the paradox of large protective shoes. Striking and conspicuous with their seven slits, they announce the color. But they’re also exploring the use of recycled materials, a request from the Czech brand’s teams.

What if the true luxury was space?

Here the Skoda Vision 7S uses rubber made from recycled tires with veneers that feel rather hard. This is not the case with the floor of the cabin, the softness of the material leaves no doubt as to its origin. The advantages are manifold: the coating is scratch-resistant, easy to wash off and allows objects to stay in place. Highlighted by the strong ambient lighting, the fragments resulting from recycling would make this floor look like a star floor. The airy feeling is enhanced by the seats with no visible supports, the semi-floating center console and the generous volume on board.

The concept cars explore the unfathomable, removing all the usual limitations and each featuring their own equally conceptual innovations. This means they can only exist in an imaginary bubble and will inevitably face industrial, regulatory and financial realities. That of the Vision 7S? Seven exotic seats and the opportunity to clean up the interior.

So the Skoda Vison 7S has three rows of two seats, and the seventh place is … a baby seat. As the newest addition to the family and the center of attention, the child sits on the center console, back to the road, right in the middle of the passenger compartment. According to the Czech manufacturer, this is the safest place in the car. In addition, the rear passengers have the baby in view at all times, while a camera installed in the center of the rear pillar projects the image onto the center shelf.

A new approach to the human-machine interface

Below the rotary buttons (a standard operating module) that control the air conditioning or the infotainment system is a button that allows you to switch from Drive mode to Relax mode. When the latter is activated, the front seats pivot to the center and the rear seats to the rear to reveal the central screen. The pedals drop, the dash stows away, while the central 14.6-inch screen flips from a portrait (vertical) to a landscape (horizontal) position. A solution that is already a reality with the BYD Han EV.

The infotainment system then offers several dedicated applications with relaxation programs, games, a reading corner or Netflix. So many functions that can be controlled with a smartphone linked to the on-board system, whether in hand or while charging on the induction hob in the center console. With these solutions, Skoda wants you to spend as much time as possible in its vehicles in the future. Or keep yourself occupied as you go through the recharge box, an operation that’s rarely exciting.

However, the strategy is contradictory and then confronts the technical sheet. Charging times have not been communicated, but this Vision 7S, based on the MEB platform, is capable of targeting 200kW of DC charging power. It is currently in the upper range of the electric basket (Mercedes EQS, BMW i4 etc.), which should prove to be sufficient to fill the 89 kWh battery as quickly as possible. According to the WLTP protocol, the Skoda Vision 7S could aim for 600 km of autonomy in its current form. On paper, this would shift the ability to truly enjoy all digital entertainment on board. But what remains of the production model?

Series implementation is planned for 2026

This question remains unanswered after each presentation of a concept car, which is intended to serve as a laboratory for the various departments of a manufacturer, but also to open the window into the future. In terms of style, the Vision 7S promises significantly more softness in the lines of the brand’s next products. But all the flirtatiousness the design department has indulged in could be sacrificed on the altar of industrial and financial realities. Too bad because, as always, the movement Just smart The brand’s favorite is in full swing with all the useful and intelligent touches.

In the technical chapter, it promises long life to the MEB platform, which obviously has many resources to get to the top of the basket in terms of habitability. It remains to be seen whether it will evolve over time and, for example, free up space under the hood to create perfectly usable storage space in the family car. According to our curious looks, the space still seems well occupied with the various mechanical and technical devices.

The technical data sheet is also attractive and shows the potential for further development of the platform. Quite ample charging power and 600 km of autonomy, that seems tempting. Currently anyway. Because series production will not see the light of day immediately: the arrival of the electric descendant of the Skoda Kodiaq will have to wait until 2026. It will arrive after the battery change of the Karoq (2024) and the Kamiq (2025).